hosting a picking group . . .

[craig]

i'm finally starting to settle into my new home and know there are several musicians in the area. i've never been to a jam session. nor, have i picked much with others with the exception of a few friends.

what would be your recommendations?

--how many people do you invite? 3 not enough? 6 too many?
--who do you invite? is it most enjoyable to have several different instruments or more of the same? what about inviting non-musicians?
--how do you go about choosing the songs to play amongst a group of relative strangers?
--what are reasonable expectations for a first-time get together?
--do you set a regular night? and, how often?
--any questions i didn't ask, but should have?

any suggestions or insight from the experienced would be greatly appreciated

[Phantoj]

Is there a specific style of music you want to focus on?

I think you'll do better if you focus on one genre.

[craig]

phantoj,

yeah, i would imagine that makes sense. i'm hoping for bluegrass/folk/old-timey. but, i guess i'd be open to country and rock, too. guess the genre interest would delegate who gets invited. my indian friend with a sitar will have to stay home http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

craig

[Phantoj]

I join in on a jazz group... where we just play jazz. It works better to know what you're doing.

If you want to do bluegrass/old-time, I'd think you want as much diversity among the following instruments as possible:

banjo
guitar
fiddle
bass (preferably upright acoustic, but washtub, electric, whatever)
dobro

If you know someone who can play a passable mandolin, that might be nice in the mix, too.

You might allow:
Harmonica
Autoharp
Bowed psaltry
Ukulele
Dulcimer
Some percussion instruments; I'd not want a full drum set.

Probably don't want:
Electric guitar
Keyboards
Saxophone
Trombone
Trumpet
Tuba


I think you don't want five guitarists, either, but it seems to be what everybody plays.

[Phantoj]

Oh, I meant the "passable mandolin player" comment as humor... just forgot to pop in a smiley.

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

[Phantoj]

I think you should choose a list of "standard" tunes that you want everybody attending to get familiar with, in particular keys. Then attendees can bring up other songs and teach them to the group.

Standards of the bluegrass and old time genres are often posted in lists on the internet.

I have never hosted a jam... seems like more planning rather than less will be most beneficial.

[John Flynn]

Two things that have worked for me:

1. Attend a lot of jams. Get to know the folks that you think are like-minded musically. When you get to know enough of them, invite them to a jam you host.

2. Nothing focueses a group like a "gig": Find or host a party or event that it would be appropriate for an amatuer group to entertain at. Recruit players, either from method #1 above, and/or by asking local music teachers if they have students who would be interested. Design a set list of tunes that are good, but not too challenging. Schedule practices and at least one open mike night leading up to the event. Provide each player with sheet music, tab, lyrics and recordings of the set before the first practice. Then work the plan. The group that emerges will be the basis for a long term pickin' group/band.

[addcourt]

craig: If you have any parking-lot picking or open mic kind of forums in your area you might check those out as "audition" opportunities. We had several of these in my old home town and it was a good way to invite players for your own jams. That's a pretty good way to avoid that banjo player who tries to make up for bad timing with extra volume. Good luck.

[SternART]

Here is a nice link to Jon Sievert's article and photos, even recordings done at one of the Comando jams at my studio in the SF Bay Area a few years ago:
http://www.humblepress.com/CoMando/index.html

[Dan Adams]

We started as one mandolin player and one guitar/mandolin player that met in the music store. One guitar player knows another, and now we are three. #Meet a co-worker at a bluegrass festival that plays guitar/mandolin/bass and it grows to four. #Now were four people just enjoying getting together and jamming. #A good number because we evolve into a 'garage band' that plays out several times. Lose one guitar/mandolin player, add another who's spouse plays bass. #Now previous bass player plays dobro and guitar. #New configuration and play more gigs. #Five is a good number, but one of us needs to learn fiddle or we need a fiddle player, and we don't ever want a banjo. #We don't really play exclusively bluegrass, or old timey, or celtic, and do some originals, so we can't be pigeon-holed due to the kind and/or number of instruments. #Now its hard to add other players because we can't ever decide if we're practicing or jamming. #We've had others join us, but we get into that practice mode and the core group is comfortable with each other. #So what was the easy question? #Just kidding, but a good example of how it evolves.

Be careful of what you ask for, it could become... #Dan